When a House Fire in Maryland Becomes a Personal Injury Claim

A Prince George’s County house fire occurred earlier this month at the home of a woman and her 3-year-old daughter. The fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 11th near St. Barnabas Road in Suitland, Md. Both individuals were said to have suffered both smoke inhalation and respiratory distress.

The house fire comes as the county has seen nine deaths in seven house fires this year, according to officials. According to the United States Fire Administration, there were estimates of 7,000 residential building fires in the U.S. resulting in injuries in 2016 alone, and 1,800 fatal residential building fires. When a house fire starts, occupants are at-risk for burn injuries, smoke inhalation illness, and even fatalities. Along with mental and physical trauma, the occupants may lose their home, and be unable to earn an income due to debilitating or catastrophic injuries.

Nearly 80 percent of house fires are preventable through proper maintenance and attention to detail. However, if the responsibility of care was someone else’s and they failed to act accordingly, you may be owed monetary compensation.

Firefighters recommend that individuals check all smoke alarms in a residence, sleep with bedroom doors closed, and have a plan for escaping from the home in case of an emergency. In addition, it’s important to know that residential smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.

While making sure to follow smoke alarm maintenance and safety protocols, also be aware of other factors that can cause house fires. More specifically, as summer progresses, so does the popularity of fireworks. In order to prevent any fires that may occur due to the use of fireworks, make sure to practice the following safety tips.

Put sparklers and other consumer grade fireworks in a bucket of water once used.
Keep ground-based fireworks a safe distance away from your home and individuals.
Only set off fireworks on a concrete, compact dirt, or similar non-flammable surface
Only purchase legal and safe fireworks. Only gold-labeled sparklers, novelty items — such as party poppers, snap pops, and snakes — and ground-based sparkler devices are allowed in Maryland.